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Katy Perry’s High-Octane Super Bowl Halftime Show Was a Total Win

Katy Perry, as they say, killed it. High-octane from start to finish, Perry’s roughly 12-minute halftime show performance was a visual pop-art-Lisa Frank-Trapper Keeper explosion—from the large golden lion upon which Perry entered the field, to the “The More You Know. . .”-esque star mechanism upon which she belted “Firework” to close things out. It was a verifiable spectacle, and what Perry may have lacked in dance-moves or vocal precision, she more than made up for in enthusiasm and ingenuity. She looked like she was having a great time, and, consequently, so did we.

Let’s run some numbers:

— 4 costume changes. Perry began the show in a flaming fire-branded skirt, switched to a beach-y corset number for her sunny “Teenage Dream”/”California Gurls” interlude, went with an oversized black jersey for the Missy Elliott segment, and then glitz-ed out for “Firework” in a one-shoulder shimmery dress.

— 3 songs sung by Missy Elliot. Somewhat curiously, the rapper was given time for three songs—“Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” and “Lose Control.” Someone at Pepsi was feeling nostalgic for grinding-filled middle school dances?

— 2 dancing sharks. These happy-go-lucky sharks with legs, who flanked Perry during what we'll call the Sunny Delight middle segment, nearly upstaged the entire show. Tumblr is never going to be the same.

— 1 duet with Lenny Kravitz. The two sang a rock-tinged “I Kissed A Girl” together, and it was surprisingly excellent!